Is 7 factions too many?

Doesn't FFG run the risk of leaving one or more factions behind the others?

Will they stop at 7? There could be a dedicated Mandalorian faction in the pipeline.

I've got rebels, imperials and scum and do not intend on getting into the other newer factions. I have some concerns for my future as a scum player. Because I have decided to focus on scum exclusively. I wonder if I will be penalized for staying with one of the older factions. Will the new releases be balanced? Will force upgrades and force abilities push the power of the newest factions ahead of scum who do not have as many force using pilots? The new jedi starfighter looks pretty nice, and there are multiple force using pilots for it. Will the older factions remain relevant and competitive in this environment?

There is a lot of thought about breaking Scum into Hutts and Black suns, past that I don't think we will see more then 7 Factions. As far as balancing every 6 months they are suppose to keep things adjusted so everything is playable and with the fact only ship ablities are on the cards and hyperspace can remove things that are overpowered or just too good, I believe you should be fine with just Scum. Locally we have every faction Presented with the players. I do First Order, the other people Scum, Rebels, Imps and Resistance. Everyone feels like they have someone to offer and we still are figuring out the game. So hang in there next month if FFG is on track the first point adjustment will so if they are on track with balancing or need more time.

Side note Scum has the most options and seeing its one faction your going to get the most toys across all the time line of Star Wars which is super cool, I think you picked good with them.

No: Choice and variety is good for the game.

And Yes: People will play what they want to play.

Why shouldn't they? What's wrong with the OG factions?

No -- lots of choices, easier to balance, better thematics is good.

Just need to break up Scum & Villainy into 2-3 viable factions.

The premise of your question suggests you simply do not understand this game.

Factions will be left behind, it was happening all the time in 1.0 as well. No matter what faction you are playing, given enough time you will likely see it both at the top of the meta and at the bottom.

21 minutes ago, LordBlades said:

Factions will be left behind, it was happening all the time in 1.0 as well. No matter what faction you are playing, given enough time you will likely see it both at the top of the meta and at the bottom.

True, but fortunately with points changes we'll see it shake up (and down) more often, so no one is left behind.

I think several factions are absolutely necessary to draw new players into the game. As a former Warhammer player, the fact that there were only two factions in X-Wing was partly what kept me from getting into the game the first couple of years. I think a lot of people want a faction that's "theirs", something different from what their friends play, and now that's actually a possibility. If the would just release that Essentials pack...

40 minutes ago, Tlfj200 said:

True, but fortunately with points changes we'll see it shake up (and down) more often, so no one is left behind.

This. The fluid point costs ensure that if a faction ever gets “left behind” it will only be temporary.

No, I love having the Clone Wars in the game and look forward to more factions. Heck WOTC had Star Wars miniatures with 10 factions (didn't have FO and Resistance, but added Old Republic, Sith, Mandalorian, Yuuzhan Vong and New Republic) and it was balanced pretty well allowing different themes to develop. Which is what I'm hoping for here

Rebels are "bad" now, and they're still 28% of competitive lists.

At any given time, there might be one faction that's obviously on the bottom of the pile, and maybe you don't really see that faction in cuts. But you'll still see it in swiss, and in casual or store-level play, if only because there's going to be people who don't play anything else. Second edition also has a smaller power gap between mediocre lists and good lists, which will apply to mediocre factions and good factions, too; especially if the January rebalance pushes the delta further down (nerfs the good stuff) rather than up (buffs the bad stuff).

"Best in faction" prizes might also help to diversify the playing field. If a faction is considered weak, there might be fewer players running it, making that prize all the more attainable for those who do. This would of course also work to keep the most popular faction somewhat in check.

I'd like them to just keep it at 7 for 2.0. We sincerely do not need any more than what we have, yet at the same time...

Non era divided scum is very, very strange to me. ONE faction will soon be encompassing all three eras. So, as time goes on, there could be a genuine precedent to split Scum into different factions. After all, not all cartels are the same and typically heavily compete. I wouldn't mind it, actually.

However. When 3.0 does roll around, or faction splits occur in 2.0... We absolutely need to allow the faction's ships to be playable via conversion kit. None of this Extended OR Hyperspace crap. Yes, crap, because it actually kind of makes me angry that all this stuff is unusable at the time, aside from "What's been released" in 2.0.

Which is a totally BS goalpost anyway. It's all been released but here we are being told that's not the case so the Resistance and First Order don't feel bad. It sucks.

3 hours ago, Herowannabe said:

This. The fluid point costs ensure that if a faction ever gets “left behind” it will only be temporary.

It was also temporary in 1.0 as well. The meta changed almost every release and every major FAQ. Point rebalances don't make this process any faster IMO, only easier.

It's also worth remembering we're discussing FFG here, not some game balancing masterminds. If their hit-or-miss fixes in 1.0 are any indication, after they rebalance something there's roughly equal odds of it to be:

- fine and balanced

- (still) complete trash

- (still) broken as ****

7 hours ago, Da_Brown_Bomber said:

Is 7 factions too many?

Doesn't FFG run the risk of leaving one or more factions behind the others?

Will they stop at 7? The could be a dedicated Mandalorian faction in the pipeline.

I've got rebels, imperials and scum and do not intend on getting into the other newer factions. I have some concerns for my future as a scum player. Because I have decided to focus on scum exclusively. I wonder if I will be penalized for for staying with one of the older factions. Will the new releases be balanced? Will force upgrades and force abilities push the power of the newest factions ahead of scum who do not have as many force using pilots? The new jedi starfighter looks pretty nice, and there are multiple force using pilots for it. Will the older factions remain relevant and competitive in this environment?

Will they stop at 7? Possibly, possibly not. The fact is we had no idea what the film projects are that the Game of Thrones directors are working on, or if Rian Johnson keeps his trilogy what his films will be about or the era they are set in. If those films are set in existing eras then the new ships can be slotted into the 2.0 factions but if not then we could see new factions added to the game in time, not likely soon but in time.

As for Scum you should be pretty darn fine, anything that doesn't fall into the other 6 factions or is aligned with any new factions are going to come your way, and at present and likely in the future too you literally have the most ship options available to you.

You should be more than fine, the FO on the other hand could be in a rough spot if the ST is only continued in comics and books and they don't get a lot of new toys in Resistance or Episode 9 since they have already gotten every ship they can field save for the TIE/fo Interceptor. Resistance is in a somewhat similar spot but they at least have the Resistance Transport, Resistance Intersystem Transport from the Disney Park expansions, T-85 X-Wing, Fireball, a few other Racer ships from Resistance could be folded into the faction if needed and it will likely get more options than the FO in spinoff material. Heck, considering they used OT era ships Resistance could even get those ships thrown into their faction if FFG wanted.

46 minutes ago, Captain Lackwit said:

I'd like them to just keep it at 7 for 2.0. We sincerely do not need any more than what we have, yet at the same time...

Non era divided scum is very, very strange to me. ONE faction will soon be encompassing all three eras. So, as time goes on, there could be a genuine precedent to split Scum into different factions. After all, not all cartels are the same and typically heavily compete. I wouldn't mind it, actually.

However. When 3.0 does roll around, or faction splits occur in 2.0... We absolutely need to allow the faction's ships to be playable via conversion kit. None of this Extended OR Hyperspace crap. Yes, crap, because it actually kind of makes me angry that all this stuff is unusable at the time, aside from "What's been released" in 2.0.

Which is a totally BS goalpost anyway. It's all been released but here we are being told that's not the case so the Resistance and First Order don't feel bad. It sucks.

I mean it would be a bit awkward to have Scum split into the three eras, if it was a single faction with ships limited to era that makes it a whole hassle to look up what you can and can't take and equip, if you split it up by era then it makes it awkward again since how do you phrase that? Not to mention that it makes it so the Scum has what for the ST era, a Quadjumper and that ship alone?

What I hope is that in time Scum will get unique talents that promote Hutt Cartel, Black Sun, Etc... play geared around certain ships.

The number of factions is a good thing. It allows greater customization and allows folks to play what they want.

What needs to be addressed is...

1. Balance. as they add more stuff in, keeping it balanced. Hopefully not by playing "catch up"with one always at top or bottom but rather balance all along. I point out not playing catch up because eventually it will end if they discontinue the game so that folks could keep playing it or because eventually many players will "have enough" and want to stop getting new. Or because eventually, they will go to a 3.0 (most likely) and folks may prefer to stay in 2.0 if they dont play the tourney circuit.

2. ships being in multiple factions. Putting what is needed for any faction a ship is in into the pack without jacking the price.

I think the biggest issue is how much shelf space the game will take up. My local store isn't too big and First Edition X-Wing was challenging the amount of space they had for the game. I'm cool with all of the factions, but am a bit worried about how much will be able to be kept in stock at any given place at any given time.

2 hours ago, LordBlades said:

It was also temporary in 1.0 as well. The meta changed almost every release and every major FAQ. Point rebalances don't make this process any faster IMO, only easier.

It's also worth remembering we're discussing FFG here, not some game balancing masterminds. If their hit-or-miss fixes in 1.0 are any indication, after they rebalance something there's roughly equal odds of it to be:

- fine and balanced

- (still) complete trash

- (still) broken as ****

This^

ppl are putting a lot of faith in FFG that they will make the right decisions with any rebalancing of points. Are they going to look at tournament results to do this? That is a lot of homework unless they look at top8 lists from say 10 large events (quite a small sample size). Who makes the final decisions for points adjustments? A group of experienced players? A 'jedi council' made up of a mix of people (designers, judges, players?).

How heavy handed will they be on points? will all factions gets some type of buffs?

What is their definition of 'broken'?

If they just buff the weakest upgrades and pilots by making them cheaper will power creep be the result?

3 hours ago, Captain Lackwit said:

It's all been released but here we are being told that's not the case so new players who got into the game with second edition don't feel bad...

Fixed that for you.

2 hours ago, EVIL INC said:

The number of factions is a good thing. It allows greater customization and allows folks to play what they want.

What needs to be addressed is...

1. Balance. as they add more stuff in, keeping it balanced. Hopefully not by playing "catch up"with one always at top or bottom but rather balance all along. I point out not playing catch up because eventually it will end if they discontinue the game so that folks could keep playing it or because eventually many players will "have enough" and want to stop getting new. Or because eventually, they will go to a 3.0 (most likely) and folks may prefer to stay in 2.0 if they dont play the tourney circuit.

2. ships being in multiple factions. Putting what is needed for any faction a ship is in into the pack without jacking the price.

This ^

especially #2. If what FFG did with the HWK-290 title is the RULE and not an EXCEPTION with cross faction ships with ESSENTIAL upgrades appearing in just ONE FACTION, then FFG will continue to hold your wallet to ransom and force you to buy stuff you don't want.

I think the 3 factions in X-wing are very well balanced.

Empire, Scum and Resistance are all very strong in their own way.

Eh, I dont think there's enough complexity in the system to make something borked that is unique to one faction

Basically, factions are VERY similar to one another as is once you look past aesthetics. Only empire stands out as having cool **** thanks to ship specific abilities

Worst case scenario, other than dipping back into 1st Ed idiocy, is one faction has some undercosted jank. We got an app for that

7 hours ago, Captain Lackwit said:

Non era divided scum is very, very strange to me. ONE faction will soon be encompassing all three eras. So, as time goes on, there could be a genuine precedent to split Scum into different factions.

Nah. Forget splitting in eras. The solution is blatantly obvious:

Faction A: Scum

Faction B: Villainy.

Genius, amirite? 😎

7 hours ago, Ebak said:

Fixed that for you.

...Well okay, fair.